Down snydrome gags 'a kick in the gut'

Sarah Palin has launched an attack on Family Guy, after the comedy featured a character with Down’s syndrome.

The episode which aired in the US on Sunday features the character Chris falling for a girl with Down syndrome, Ellen. On a date, he asks what her parents do. She replies: ‘My dad's an accountant, and my mom is the former governor of Alaska.’

But the former Republican vice-presidential hopeful – whose youngest son, Trig has the syndrome – said the episode felt like ‘another kick in the gut’.

Family Guy airs on Fox in the States – the sister channel of the right-wing Fox News, which Palin recently joined as a commentator.

Palin turned her Facebook page over to her eldest daughter Bristol to comment on the episode.

She wrote: ‘Insults directed at our youngest brother hurt too much for us to remain silent. People with special needs face challenges that many of us will never confront, and yet they are some of the kindest and most loving people you'll ever meet. Their lives are difficult enough as it is, so why would anyone want to make their lives more difficult by mocking them?

‘As a culture, shouldn't we be more compassionate to innocent people— especially those who are less fortunate? Shouldn't we be willing to say that some things just are not funny?

‘If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they're heartless jerks.’

Here’s a news report about the incident:

And here is the song Down Syndrome Girl from the episode.

Published: 17 Feb 2010